Robotic surgery system and surgical instrument

Abstract

A robotic surgery system includes a robot and an instrument assembly. The instrument assembly includes a drive unit with at least one rotary drive having an electric motor and a drive shaft that has a coupling part for coupling to a drive shaft of the instrument; an instrument including an instrument shaft and a drive shaft that has a coupling part for coupling to a drive shaft of the drive unit; and an instrument interface including a sheath that encompasses the drive unit. In order to detachably couple an instrument module to an instrument part of a surgical instrument, an electromagnet in a magnet assembly of the instrument module is activated or deactivated, a permanent magnet of said magnet assembly is moved into a locking position and/or an angular position of a coupled counter element assembly of the instrument part is detected by an angle sensor of the instrument module.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An instrument assembly for detachable fastening at the robot of a robotic surgery system, the instrument assembly comprising:
 a drive unit comprising at least one rotary drive motor with a drive shaft; 
 an instrument detachably connected to the drive unit, the instrument including an instrument shaft and at least one drive shaft; 
 the drive shaft of the drive unit and the drive shaft of the instrument each including a coupling part cooperating to couple the drive shaft of the drive unit to the drive shaft of the instrument such that drive moments caused by rotation of the drive shaft of the drive unit about its own longitudinal axis are transmitted to the drive shaft of the instrument for rotation about its own longitudinal axis, which drive moments actuate an end effector located at a distal end of the drive shaft of the instrument; and 
 an instrument interface arranged between the drive unit and the instrument. 
 
     
     
       2. An instrument assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling part of the drive shaft of the drive unit and the coupling part of the drive shaft of the instrument are magnetically coupled to each other. 
     
     
       3. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
 an auxiliary instrument; or 
 a drive for actuating an end effector; 
 wherein the auxiliary instrument or the drive is detachably inserted through the instrument of the instrument assembly. 
 
     
     
       4. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one drive shaft of the drive unit and one drive shaft of the instrument are arranged coaxially. 
     
     
       5. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive unit comprises at least one inner drive shaft concentrically arranged in an outer hollow drive shaft. 
     
     
       6. The instrument assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the inner drive shaft is a hollow drive shaft. 
     
     
       7. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary drive motor of the drive unit is at least one of:
 coaxially aligned with its drive shaft; 
 arranged parallel offset relative to its drive shaft; or 
 arranged angularly relative to its drive shaft. 
 
     
     
       8. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling part of the drive unit drive shaft is axially displaceable in a direction along the drive shaft. 
     
     
       9. The instrument assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the coupling part is biased in a direction along the drive shaft. 
     
     
       10. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises at least one inner drive shaft arranged concentrically within an outer hollow drive shaft. 
     
     
       11. The instrument assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the inner drive shaft of the instrument is a hollow drive shaft. 
     
     
       12. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the instrument drive shaft is one of:
 coaxially arranged relative to the instrument shaft; 
 arranged parallel offset relative to the instrument shaft; or 
 angularly arranged relative to the instrument shaft. 
 
     
     
       13. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a transmission for converting a rotation of the drive unit drive shaft or the instrument drive shaft into a translation of at least one of a tensile means or a thrust means;
 wherein at least one of:
 the transmission comprises a guide bar, or 
 the transmission is arranged in one half of the instrument shaft and either faces the drive unit or faces away from the drive unit. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft of the instrument is a hollow drive shaft. 
     
     
       15. The instrument assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft of the drive unit is a hollow drive shaft. 
     
     
       16. A robotic surgery system comprising a robot and an instrument assembly in accordance with  claim 1  detachably fastened at the robot. 
     
     
       17. An instrument assembly for detachable fastening at the robot of a robotic surgery system, the instrument assembly comprising:
 a drive unit comprising at least one rotary drive motor with a drive shaft; 
 an instrument detachably connected to the drive unit, the instrument including an instrument shaft and at least one drive shaft; 
 the drive shaft of the drive unit and the drive shaft of the instrument each including a coupling part cooperating to couple the drive shaft of the drive unit to the drive shaft of the instrument; and 
 an instrument interface arranged between the drive unit and the instrument; 
 wherein the drive shaft of the drive unit is hollow, the instrument assembly further comprising: 
 a cover having a tubular conduit adapted to be passed through the hollow shaft of the drive unit and through an outlet opening of the cover; 
 wherein the tubular conduit includes a blind plug and a cap ring for fastening at an outer circumferential section of the tubular conduit; and 
 wherein the outer circumferential section of the tubular conduit is made accessible by removing the blind plug. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for enclosing a robot or a drive unit for an instrument assembly with a cover, the method comprising:
 obtaining an instrument assembly for detachable fastening at the robot of a robotic surgery system, the instrument assembly comprising:
 a drive unit comprising at least one rotary drive motor with a drive shaft, 
 an instrument detachably connected to the drive unit, the instrument including an instrument shaft and at least one drive shaft, 
 the drive shaft of the drive unit and the drive shaft of the instrument each including a coupling part cooperating to couple the drive shaft of the drive unit to the drive shaft of the instrument, and 
 an instrument interface arranged between the drive unit and the instrument; 
 
 obtaining a cover having a tubular conduit adapted to be passed through the hollow shaft of the drive unit and through an outlet opening of the cover; 
 guiding a blind plug through the hollow shaft and the outlet opening of the cover; 
 removing the blind plug to uncover an outer circumferential section of the tubular conduit; and 
 fastening a cap ring at the outer circumferential section of the tubular conduit.